Chaeles inglis pittman



(No Model.)

- G. I. PITTMAN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 297,343. Patented Apr. 29, 1884.

mvENrron: 4dizz'ww ATTORNEYS N. PEI'ERS. Phow-ljllwgmpmr. Wanhingtom ma I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

CHARLES INGLIS PITTMAN, OF HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA. 1

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,843, dated April 29, 1884.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES I. PITTMAN, of the city ofHalifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists of a brake-block having the sling suspended from it and a frictionblock through which the rope on which the descent is made is rove, so that the weight of the rider prod uces pressure on the ropeto graduate the descent, making a simple, safe, and efficient device adapted to be placed in a small case attached to the wall at the side of a window, where it may be readily taken out andadjusted instantly merely by opening the lower sash of the window and thrusting' the sling and blocks out of the same, to be mounted either by straddling the sling or entering a canvas sack attached thereto, all as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved fire-escape. Fig. 2 isgn elevation taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 represents an interior view of the room, showing the improved fire-escape stored in a case attached to the wall at the side of the window, ready for use.

The rope a is to be secured firmly at one end to the top of the window-frame, as at b, or in any other approved way. Said rope is rove through a friction -block, 0, three times or more, as shown, and it passes through a brakeblock, d, located over friction-block, and having the sling e and sack f suspended from it by the rope of the sling passing up through friction-blocks c and up and down through said brake-block, and attached to the frictionblock atf, with cushion-springs g interposed between the blocks and confined by the slingropes, so that when the person is not suspended by the sling the blocks will be separated, to allow of running the rope a through and between the blocks readily to place the sling on the rope, ready for use. To guide rope a be low the blocks, so as not to interfere with the sling or sack, it may be run through a block, h, attached to one end of the sling-ropes.

Application filed July 9,1883. (No model.)

A supply-strap, 2', may be applied to the sling-ropes a suitable distance above the sack,

for buckling around the waist of persons unable to retain their position without support.

It will be seen that besides the friction of the rope a in its devious course through the friction-block, the pressure of the weight of the person using the escape on rope a between the blocks appliesadditionalfriction by the brake d,- and the rope a may be used as a check rope, also, by pulling down on it, thus making an efficient and very safe device for ready means of escape, enabling the operator to arrest himself in front of the windows totake others in with him.

The escape device may be pulled up to the room again by remaining persons as often as required by hauling up rope a and rapidly running said rope through the friction-block. When the operator prefers to go astride of the sling, the sack f may be folded up on the slingrope for a seat.

I do not abandon or dedicate to the public any patentable feature set forth herein and not hereinafter claimed, but reserve the right to claim the same either in a reissue of any patent that may be granted upon this application or in other applications for Letters Patent that I may make.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a fire-escape, the brake-block d, having the sling e suspended from it, in combination with friction-block 0, having the rope a rove through it, substantially as described.

2. In a fire-escape consisting of rope a, friction-block c, sling e, and brake-block d, the sling-rope extended up through block a, and also up and down through block d, and attached to block a, substantially as described.

3, The cushion-springs g, in combination with friction-block 0, sling-rope e, and brakeblock d, said springs being arranged between blocks 0 d and the sling-rope, substantially as described. 7

4. The combination'of guide h with rope a, sling-rope e, friction-block a, and brake-block d, substantially as described.

CHARLES INGLIS PITTMAN.

Witnesses:

ISAAC D. HARRIS, JAs. MONAGHAN. 

